Why Did G-d Create Evil?
Question
Why did G-d create evil?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
The prophet (Isaiah 45:7) does indeed tell us that “God created light and darkness, and good and evil…”
There are many different interpretations on how to understand this verse, and the idea that an all loving and merciful G-d would create such an attribute. Here is one explanation:
It is not that God created evil, but rather, he created free choice, and its mankind that decided to contribute the evil to the world. Even the G-d is very often dependant on mankind’s desire to do give and give good to the world. In other words, the verse refers to free choice. Even when G-d must punish people for their sins, it the sin that created the need for evil (punishment) not G-d. Indeed, the verse in Lamentations 3:38 clearly suggests that “evil” is relative to the sinners who bring punishment upon themselves, which forces God to do evil to them in return.
I will also add that there is no true evil that emanates from God as it says, "All that the Merciful One (G-d) does is for the good" (Berachot 60b) and, as such, “Man should bless God for the evil which occurs in the same way that he blesses Him for the good" (Berachot 33b).
Suffice it to say that G-d will be very happy if there were no evil in the world!